gunning



(No Model.)

NVENTUH:

ATTORNEYS 1HE Norms Varens co., Pnmcrmno.. wnsmnmcrl, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFICE.

J OSEPHUS II. GUNNING, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

SURGICAL ELECTRODE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,220, dated May 12, 1891.

Application filed November 20, 1890. Serial No. 372,056. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .TosEPHUs H. GUNNING, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Surgical Electrodes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electrodes for surgical use, mainly intended to be applied to internal parts of the human body for passing an electric current through diseased organs or parts requiring such treatment. The invention, however, more particularly relates to bipolar surgical electrodeswthat is, to a flexible surgical electrode having its two poles coinponent parts of the instrument itself, whereby the electric circuit may be made direct through the parts affected and much more effectually than through a pole on the exterior of the body not an integral part of the electrode itself and the other pole a component part of the electrode; and it consists in a bipolar surgical electrode for application to internal parts of the human body and other like uses of novel character and construction, and in certain novel combinations of parts in such an electrode,'substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents an exterior longitudinal view of asurgical electrode embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, atransverse section upon the line 3 3 in Fig. 2 on a larger scale; Fig. 4, an exterior longitudinal View of said electrode twisted and bent or iiexed, of which it is capable as occasion may' require and Fig. '5, a longitudinal section, upon a larger scale, of the rear portion of the electrode in part.

The electrode, which is much in the form of a bougie or catheter for entry within the different orifices of the body, and is capable of being iieXed, as required, in various directions to bring its two poles in contact with the organ or part to be treated, may be made in various sizes to suit particular surgical operations.

Among other purposes or uses to which the device is applicable are the treatment of the uterus or parts connected with the vagina, the interior of the penis or urethra and bladder, parts accessible by the anus, the throat, and

other parts or organs.

The instrument as embodied in the drawings einbaces two suitably-insulated electric conductors arranged one outside the other and provided with independent poles at or near their forward ends and designed to respectively connect with the opposite poles of a battery, the said conductors, both of which are flexible, being fitted to slide one within or along the other; or, in other Words, the poles at their forward ends being capable of adjustment nearer to or farther from each other to give them a contracted or spread contact with the parts or organ to be treated. Thus b indicates a central wire forming the one conductor suitably insulated bya rubber coveringc or other non-conducting material that will admit of the exing of the two in common. This wire conductor b connects atits rear end with a metal binding-post d, preferably a longitudinally-split or spring one for connection by a Wire c with the one pole of a battery, and around this binding-post d is a rubber non-conducting covering f to provide for ,handling the instrument from its back end. The other orv forward end of the conductor b has fitted on it or connects with a metallic tip-piece forming one of the surface acting portions of the electrode, the same constituting the one pole g of the instrument.

,Outside of the tubular insulator' c, through which the conductor b passes, is another conductor 7i, preferably composed of a series of iine wires arranged in direction of the length of the instrument and carried by an outer insulating covering or tubet' of lesser length than the insulator c, on which it is free to slide, or the insulator c is fitted to slide through tube e', as required. This outer conductor h is fitted or connects with at its forward end a metallic cap-piece forming the other surface acting portion of the electrode, the same constituting the other pole g of the instrument. The conductor 77 formed by the series of `fine wires, as described, is turned over at its rear end on the outside of the insulating-tube t' to connect with a metal binding-post, which its as a ferrule or cap 7c over the back end of the insulating-tube t' and IOO serves to hold the turned-over ends of the conductor 7i in place. This ferrule or cap is made to constitute the binding-post by constructing it with an angular projection or arm k', adapted to hold a wire Z, designed to connect with the other pole of the battery, such binding-post also preferably being a longitudinally-split or spring one and the portion obeing protected by a non-conducting covering mf.

The instrument, connected with the opposite poles of a battery as described, is applied by introducing it through the orifice in the body leading to the parts or organ to be treated, and when necessary is suitably bent or flexed in various directions to bring` its poles g g both in contact with said parts or organ to be treated, the poles g y being adjusted nearer to or farther from each other, according to the length of electric circuit it is required to pass through the diseased parts or organ. This is done by simply sliding the insulator c, with its conductor l), carrying the pole g, forward or backward through the inclosing insulating-tube 11", carrying the conductor la. and other pole g of the electrode.

The invention is not restricted to the preelse construction and combination of parts shown and described, as these may be variously modified; but there are two leading features of my improved surgical electrode, namely: first, thatit is a bipolar electrode capable of direct application byits poles to the organs or parts to be treated, and, secondly, that these poles are capable of heilig adjusted to different distances from each other to change the length or field of the electric circuit to or through the parts under treatment.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure bv Letters Patentu 1. A bipolar surgical electrode having its two poles, which form component parts of the instrument itself, adjustable to vary their distance apart, for the purpose herein set forth.

A surgical electrode capable of being ilexed in various directions and havin g its two poles, which form component parts of the instrument itself, adjustable to vary their distance apart.

Il. In a bipolar surgical electrode, the co1nbination of two insulated conductors forming the body part of the instrument, arranged one outside of the other and provided with independent poles at or near their forward ends.

4. In a bipolar surgical electrode, the con1 bination of a central 0r inner conductor incased by an insulating coating ortube, andan insulating-tube encompassing the latter and inclosing an independent conductor, the two conductors carrying independent poles at or near their forward ends and adjustable in common with their insulating-tubes the one through the other, substantially as specified.

5. In a bipolar surgical electrode having separately-insulated conductors capable of being slid one through the other and provided with independent poles at or near their forward ends, the combination therewith at or near the rear ends of the conductors of independent binding-posts adapted to hold independent wires for connection with the opposite poles of a battery, essentially as specified.

(i. In a bipolar surgical electrode, the outer insulated conductor composed of a series of wires bent over the insulator of said conductor at its rear end, in combination with a binding-post constructed to form also a covering and holder of the bent-over ends of the conductor, essentially as shown and described.

7 A bipolar surgical electrode capable of being exed in various directions and having independent insulated conductors provided at or near their forward ends with independent tip or cap pieces forming the two poles of the instrument, the two insulated conductors adjustable the one through the other to vary the distance of said poles apart and provided at or near their rear ends with independent binding-posts, substantially as described. 9o 

